Apparatus for producing formaldehyde.



W. B; MQLAUGHLIN.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PORMALDEHYDE.

1 APPLICATION EILED IBBHZ, 1908.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

.WEARTON B. HoLAUGHI-IN, OF NEW I ronx, N. 2., COMPANY, or NEW roux, N. Y., A

mass PATENT 0FFiC.-

assienon roam: sam'm'non- Aim sum? conrona'rrou or NEW roan.

APPARATUS son rnonucruo ronmmnnrnn.

Specification oi Letters P a'tent. Patented Aug. 31, 190 9.

Application am February 7, mos. Serial No. 414,324.

To all whom it my coacem: I

Be it' known that L'VVHARTON '13. Mo-" LAUGHLIN, of the city of New York, in the.

State-of New York and county of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing. -l ormaldehyde, of which the following is a d specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for pro. ducing formaldehyde, and is articularly useful for the purpose of-disin ection.

constructed of such proportions as to'be readily portable. 1 Before proceeding with the description of my apparatus I may say that it is desi ned to utilize the principle that formaldehyde may be generated by bringing a mixture of the vapor of methyl alcohol and air into contact with a catalytic agent heated to a dull red. I

- My invention in its preferred form therefore consists in the apparatus illustrated, de-

scribed and claimed herein.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a central sect1onal elevation.

I Fig. 3'is a sectional elevation-on the line 3'-3 Fig.2.

-1 is a closed container for alcohol.

2 is an oxidizing chamber extending through the container 1 and projecting outwardly therefrom considerably'iurther on one side than on the other, the ratio of the thereto.

' especially suite be made. suitable-material capable of enduring a-conlengt hs, of these projections being suitably tour to one,

metallic, such as porcelain and glass, might "be used. This oxidizing-chamber 2 contains .refracto material 4 treated with a catal nt. em

p atinized as tic loy preferably copperize or esto s, which is advantageous since it is aoor conductor of heat and thereforedoesii, 0t hinder the raising of thee. asbestos impre To this end, the apparatus may conveniently be .in' a' most eflicient manner .end. The container l is contemperature of the chamber to the point of oxidation; Cop erlzed asbestos,'2'. e. asbesto's impregnate garded as superior to platinized asbestos,

nated with. oxid, since the latterhas a tendency to proucie over oxidation and the generate formic aci chamber 2 and is of any suitable length.

6 is a means. for passing air through the apparatus and is shown as a bellows for forcing air therethrough. This bellows is connected by a ipe 7 with a pipe8 extending downward y into the container from a point which may beabout half way up the container to a point nearthe bottom thereof with copper oxid is replatinum 5 is a delivery pipe connected with the i under the chamber 2. It will be understood that the apparatus is airtight. 1 As the means for passing air through. the

apparatus I haveshown a bellowswhich o viously'will deliver the .air in pulsations and thus makeethe air pressure inth'e apparatus varyin or intermittent causl .an mtermittent g owing and dying ofthe incam' descence and causing the action to take place preventing too high pressure and consequent decomposition of the formaldehyde and formation of CO As will be apparent from the claims, however, I am not confined to such intermittent action or to means for forcing air under varying or intermittent pressure into the container and throughfthe apparatus, but

may obviously pass it through in any other suitable way. p

It will be noted that the chamber 2'has necting pipe 3 enters. This extension is for the purpose of enablin the oxidizing chamber to be heated externa ly by anyisuitable means.

as the lamp lO'to a low red so as to start the alcoholic the oxidizing reaction whereby vapor is changed intoformaldehyde. v Suficient heat is evolved in this reaction to make" I it unnecessary to heatthe chamber 2 nally except initially. v v In producing for1naldehyde, g1feat d fiiculty 1S experienced v 1n preventmg. flashing back 'that is'inpr'eventing the vapor and air from beingignited'and leaping back into the container -1,- which would prevent the production of formaldehyde and would be its long extension at the end which-the 'conlikel to blow up the apparatus. One of the "chic advantages of my process and apparatus is that all danger of flashing back is revented. To this end, the pipe 3 connect-v ut Lilo not wishto be limited to the precise arrangement. The cross sectional area of the openin' into the chamber 2 should however, be re atively small.-' In practice I have used a pipe an eighth of an inch-ininternaldiameter with a chamber an inch to an inch and'a half in internal diameter.

- being removed, su

-1ntroduced into the container 1' tolcover at With a chamber of this size or of a diameter not exceeding two inches, 1. use an eighth inch to'a quarter inch pipe.

The manner of using the a paratus is as follows: The fillinglplug 9 o the container 'cient methyl alcohol is least in part theoxidizing chamber 2. The pin is then replaced. Heat is applied to the onger extension of the oxidizing chamber 2, and air is forced into the bottom of the container 1 by the bellows 6 by means of the flexible pipe 7 and the pipe 8, and;;passing up through the alcohol in the container forms a mixture ofair and vapor of alcohol which passes by the pipe 3 to the oxidizing hyde is pro need and dehvered through the chamber 2 where, as soon as the catalytic agent has been'heated to the pro er degree, the-oxidizin reaction begins an formaldeflexible pipe 5. As reviously stated so much heat is evolved m the reaction which produces the formaldeh deas to heat the material within the oxi izin chamber and the walls of the said cham er to a high degree, and this chamber being in direct contact with the alcohol acts to vaporize it.

The operation of my apparatus in preventing flashing back is, according tomy understanding of what occurs, as follows: The

I mixture of air and alcoholic vapor being at a higher'temperature than that of the surrounding atmosphere undergoes a certain amount of condensation in "assing through the pipe 3 and tends, there ore, to keep the asbestos adjacent to the point where this pipe 0 us into the oxidizm chamber moist.

on it is remembered tie agent to convert methylmalcohol into formaldehyde only when it is at a-liiw red heat, it can readily be understood that the moist portion of the asbestos would be inert and would thus prevent'the red inthe oxidizin chamber 2from causing the Vappfi to flash fiack intothe container-.1.

y ile the above explanation .is'satis'fac- .tory andwhile I believe -it"to, be.correct, I

t the copperized or. platinized asbestos acts as a catalytic hot material eeaess wish it tobe clearly understood that my apparatus does un uestionably as a matter of rect theoiy of operation may be. What -claim-as my invention is:--

1. In apparatus of the character described, in'co'mbination, a container, a chamber ex? tending within the same, means external to the container for conncctin the container with the chamber, and means for delivering air'into the container below said chamber.

2. In apparatustof the character described, in combination, a container for alcohol, a catalytic agent within the container but out; of direct contact therewith, means for forc-' ing air through the alcohol and means for bringing the mixture of alcoholic vapor and oxidizejhe alcoholic vapor and vaporize-the alcohol." p Y 3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for alcohol, a chamber arranged for contact with the alcohol in the container, and containing refrac-- tory material treated with a catalytic agent, means for connecting the container with the chamber, and means for passing air around the chamber and through the apparatus.

4. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for alcohol, an oxidizing chamber extending within said container'provided with an air inlet and with an outlet but otherwise closed, means to connect said container with said inlet, refractory material within the container treated with a catalytic agent, and means'for passing air into the container and through .the apparatus.

5; In apparatus of the character described, in combination, an upright container, a chamberextending across the same near its bottom, means for connecting the container with the chamber; a pipe extending downwardly and obliquely into said container and having its end adjacent the chamber, and means for forcing air through said pipe into and through the apparatus.

6. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a'coiitainer, a chamber extending therethrough and-projecting further on one side-than on the other, {a catalytic agent in said chamber,-means for connecting the container with the longer projection of the chamber, a delivery pipe in communication with the other projection, and means to pass air through the apparatus.

' 7 In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for alcohol, a chamber of thin steel extending within the container, means for connecting the container and chamber,- and means or delivering air into the alcohol adj acent" the chamber and for passing it through the apparatus.

' 8. In apparatus of the charaote'rdescribed,

fact prevent fias ing back whatever the corair into contact with the catalytic agent to in combination, a container as. alcohol, an

oxidizing chamber extending within the container, a pipe connecting sald containerand chamber and having a part at least of a small cross sectional area relative-to that of the chamber, and means for the apparatus.

9. l 11 apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for alcohol, a chamber extending within the container, means for connecting said container and chamber having an opening into the latter of relatively small cross sectional area with respect to that of the chamber, and means for passing air through the apparatus' 10. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for alcohol, a pipe, a chamber containing a cat- 'alytic agentand extending Within the con-- tainer, said elements. being connected in series in the order named, and means for passing air through the series,

11. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a container for alcohol, a chamber containing a catalytic agent, means for introducing" air into the alcohol adjacents'aid chamber, and means for connecting the upper part of the con-.

passing air through munication afi'orded by said connection.

12. In apparatus of the character det'ainer with the chamber said chamber being closed to the container except for the comscribed, in combination, a container for" alcohol, a chamber extending within said container and having an inlet and an out] and containing a catalytic agent, the; end of the chamber proje'ctingfrom tb'; y, tainer, a tube con'nectingthe containe'nwith the projecting, end of the chamber, and means for passing air into the container and through the apparatus.

'13. In apparatus. of the character described, "1n combination, a container for alcohol, a chamber extending within said container and having an inlet and an outconnecting the container withthe inlet end of the chamber,-and means for forcing air through the container and the chamber under intermittent pressure.

let and containing a catalytic agent, a tube 

